1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mini peripheral component interconnect (PCI) module, and more particularly, to a mini PCI module having an antenna pin set for electrically connecting to an antenna set.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) is a kind of interconnect systems for connecting a processor to a peripheral component. Through the use of a PCI, a processor can support a modern PCI card and an old-fashioned industry standard architecture (ISA) card at the same time.
A PCI can comprise 124, or 188 signal pins. For example, a 124-pin PCI includes 32 signal pins reserved for exchanging signals, and 92 remaining signal pins for electrically connecting to ground, a source, or without any predefined purposes, which are named spare signal pins.
In recent years, in accordance with the explosive development of information technology, the PCI are developed to have a variety of types, such as a compact PCI, a low profile PCI, a concurrent PCI, and a mini PCI, etc., to meet a variety of demands.
For example, a mini PCI is developed to meet a demand of wireless communications. A mini PCI card is defined to be 2.75 inches long, 1.81 inches wide, and 0.22 inches thick. Therefore, the mini PCI can be installed in a compact electronic apparatus, such as a notebook, a printer, and a Net PC, etc.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of an upside down disposed traditional notebook 10 having a first mini PCI module 30 according to the prior art. In addition to the mini PCI module 30, the notebook 10 further comprises a housing 12, a main circuit board 14 installed in the housing 12, an antenna set 16 installed on the housing 12, an antenna connection set 18 installed in the housing 12 for electrically connecting the antenna set 16 to the first mini PCI module 30, and a plurality of main electronic components 20 installed on the main circuit board 14.
The first mini PCI module 30 comprises a mini PCI card 34, and a mini PCI slot 32 for the mini PCI card 34 to be inserted into. The mini PCI slot 32 comprises 124 signal connection ends 36 equally above and below disposed in parallel to each other. The 124 signal connection ends 36 are all electrically connected to the main electronic component 20. The mini PCI card 34 comprises a secondary circuit board 38, a plurality of secondary electronic components 40 installed on the secondary circuit board 38, an antenna connection end set 42 installed on the secondary circuit board 38 for electrically connecting the antenna connection set 18 to the secondary electronic component 40, and 124 signal pins 44 equally above and below installed in parallel to each other on the secondary circuit board 38. The 124 signal pins 44 are all electrically connected to the secondary electronic component 40.
The 124 signal connection ends 36 of mini PCI slot 32 are installed corresponding to the 124 signal pins 44 of the mini PCI card 34. Therefore, when the mini PCI card 34 is inserted into the mini PCI slot 32, any one of the signal pins 44 is electrically connected to its corresponding signal connection end of the signal connection ends 36.
When the mini PCI card 34 is inserted into the mini PCI slot 32 and the antenna connection set 18 is electrically connected to the antenna connection end set 42, a wireless signal the antenna set 16 receives can travel from the antenna connection set 18, via the antenna connection end set 42, the secondary electronic component 40, the signal pins 44, and the signal connection ends 36, to the main electronic component 20; On the other hand, an analog signal the main electronic component 20 generates can travel from the signal connection ends 36, the signal pins 44, the secondary electronic component 40, the antenna connection end set 42, and the antenna connection set 18, to the antenna set 16.
As described previously, since the compact notebook 10 can comprise only one mini PCI, and the mini PCI slot 32 is in general exclusive for a WLAN mini PCI module to meet the demand of wireless communications, the notebook 10 has a limited number of expandable functions.
Moreover, after the mini PCI card 34 is inserted into the mini PCI slot 32, the main electronic component 20 cannot exchange signals with the antenna set 16 unless antenna connection set 18 of the antenna set 16 has been electrically connected to the antenna connection end set 42 of the mini PCI card 34. However, since the antenna connection set 18, nor does the antenna connection end set 42, does not have a robust structure durable enough for a user to electrically connect the antenna connection set 18 to the antenna connection end set 42 at will, in order not to make any impacts to either of the antenna connection set 18 and the antenna connection end set 42, the manually connecting operation to electrically connect the antenna connection set 18 to the antenna connection end set 42 had better been accomplished by a professional factory assembly worker. Additionally, the factory assembly worker further has to insert the mini PCI card 34 into the mini PCI slot 32 before the notebook 10 is handed over to a user. According to such a scenario, the notebook 10 is expensive, and the user cannot select another mini PCI card to replace the mini PCI card 34, which is already inserted into the mini PCI slot 32.
Lastly, if a notebook does not have the WLAN mini PCI installed, but an Analog TV mini PCI for example instead, the housing 12 of the notebook 10 can not be utilized by the notebook, unless the housing 12 further comprises a plurality of audio/video (A/V) holes for their corresponding A/V terminals to be inserted. That is to say, the notebook with the Analog TV mini PCI cannot utilize the ready-made housing 12, and has to utilize another housing of a new model.